YOUR COMMENTS

New Hampshire's current system is very close to the economic ideal supported by such notables as Jefferson, Churchill, Locke, Voltaire, Tolstoy, Lincoln, Twain, Henry Ford, and Einstein. The only change New Hampshire should make to its tax structure is to exclude buildings by shifting the tax entirely onto land values.

- Unlike income taxes, land value taxes don't punish wealth creation because land isn't created and is in fixed supply.

- Unlike income taxes, privacy doesn't have to be invaded because land assessment is relatively public and easy to determine.

- Unlike income taxes, evasion and avoidance are difficult because land cannot flee or be hidden like labor or capital.

- Unlike income taxes, land value taxes are easy to comply with and don't require small businesses to hire experts on tax code.

- Unlike income taxes, everyone pays their fair share, because there is no way to avoid it. Every advantage that a specific piece of land confers on its owners is reflected in its market value.

- Unlike income taxes, land value tracks well with the quality of services provided in the town.

- Unlike income taxes, the money from land value taxes tends to stay local and within control of the residents.

- Land value taxes end up being good for the environment by favoring urban compaction and efficient use of land. While urban and suburban areas may end up being more built up, total pristine acreage is increased. Infrastructure costs are reduced as sprawl is counteracted.

Look at what happened to surrounding states and municipalities when they started taxing things that could flee, people and businesses left! New Hampshire has a great advantage in that it is the only state with no general sales or income taxes. We should be moving closer to the tax with the least negative economic impact, not further away from it.

There are only a few disadvantages with land value tax, which can be overcome relatively easily. The first is that property taxes in general are very visible and easy to get angry about. I actually consider this a good thing, because it engages people in the political process. When income taxes are hidden by withholding, people are less vigilant against government overspending. The second is that income and sales taxes affect liquid money, not wealth in general. It is much more painful to sell a house to discharge a tax liability than to forego an economic transaction. This can be solved by applying tax liens for land sales in the case temporary or permanent hardship.

On a final note, since tax liabilities are capitalized into the sale price of land, less land tax equals higher purchase price. Why pay extra money to a bank (with interest) only to have them get a bailout when they become overextended? That money is better spent locally on infrastructure.
- Justin Keith, Rochester

Republicans had an opportunity to live up to the fiscal responsibility plank in the republican platform, they blew it. This is why many republicans backed away from republican politicians in 2006 and 2008 and hoped that the democrats would honor their newly acquired promises to be fiscal responsible. Now we are seeing that the democrats are not keeping their promises either.

Hopefully politicians of both parties will learn in 2010 that the American people have had it with their irresponsibility and many incumbents will be replaced with people who hopefully will keep their promises, or they will be replaced as well.

To keep taxes low, we must keep spending low. Our focus must be to keep spending low as well as keeping taxes low.
- Don, Meredith

Why is NH surprised that an income tax may be implemented. NH elected Democrats. Democrats Raise Taxes. No one should be surprised by any of this.
- David, Raymond

An income tax will not get rid property taxes. It just increases their caufers which they will feel mandated to spend for you. Taxes increase when times are good and money is coming in and must be increased when times are bad, because the people need it.
- John, hooksett

I knew state income tax would arise sooner or later with Jeanne Shaheen as senator.This will be followed by a sales tax.Go back to mass Gov Lynch where you came from.This is a Live free or Die state and were tired of big govt trying to enslave us by TAX
- tina maggio, derry

Peter, Canterbury, What would you like to call the the group of political appointees (hacks) with no medical background that will decide if Grandpa gets the pacemaker or "a pain pill" to quote your messiah? Because that is what your saviour has said he wants to do.
- Allan, Rochester

Mr Elliot- you have somehow left out the mess that Clinton left us with. The list is long but one thing he said was that bin laden was no threat and look what happened.
The dems and reps are equally responsible for this mess.
Finger pointing is not working.
The PEOPLE need to send a message to government- that unless you make government smaller and find ways to spend our money more carefully, then they will be in the unemployment line the next election.
But that then would make too much sense and people are too busy that their guy is better, and that anybody that disagrees is a racist and this person listens to talk radio too much- it's disgusting!
These people in office are human- they are NOT gods. Stop worshipping them as such and MAKE THEM DO THE JOBS WE PAY THEM FOR!
Why do people accept so much less from the government but so much from their own employees???
Kudos to Adam for re-enlightening the people of NH to another politicians lies.
- Donna, Rye

If Republicans want to not be compared to Flat-Earthers, then it would behoove them to stop making easily-disproved statements that rely on the listeners taking them on faith. When major GOP leaders are openly lying about the health care debate and making up 'death panels' out of a counseling option proposed by Republican Senator Jonny Isakson of Georgia, they shouldn't be surprised when people start describing them as liars and lunatics.
- Peter, Canterbury

Hey Terie Norelli, in the real world of working individuals we call slips like this CLM's (aka - career limiting move). The faster we get you out of office, the faster the change to fiscal responsibility can be implemented.
- Randall, Manchester

NH should look to Connecticut as a case study on the impact of an income tax. For two hundred years CT balanced its budget without an income tax. In 1991 they instituted one. Since then they've had a net loss of jobs and they still can't balance the budget. Why, because per capita spending has doubled since the income tax was instituted. Go figure.
- Chris L, Manchester

Many were warning 3 years ago that if the Democrats continued raising spending by 17-20% every year, there would be an income tax (duh). The Democrats insisted that that was just "scare tactics." Well, looky, looky. The Democrats ARE going to give us an income tax.

Unless we vote them out in 2010, which I think is exactly what we're going to do.
- Jack, Concord

I am of the opinion that the Democrats in the State Legislature deliberately forecasted overly optimistic revenue projections in order to create a revenue shortfall, and then use that as the basis for bringing income tax to the table for discussion.

In other words, they created the situation needed for discussing an income tax - on purpose.
- David R, Manchester

This isn't going to happen. An income tax simply doesn't have the support of enough Democrats to get a majority vote in the House and Senate. And even in the unlikely that they did pass an income tax, Lynch would probably veto it.
- Tom, Keene, NH

Take a look at your paycheck and see how much is being taken out for taxes already. I'm self-employeed and taxed heavily already. We are in trouble because of our overspeculating and overspending. The recent government spending spree is money I have not earned yet that needs to go towards debt I have not paid back yet. Stop spending my money so I may be responsible and someday successful. I work too hard to fail b/c of inability to pay high taxes.
Banks have gotten bailed out for irresponsible lending practices and how have they treated their credit card customers? Anyone upset with their credit card bills lately? I thought Obama promised tax cuts? Where is the help for the middle class? Don't impose an income tax on us. Change your spending practices just like the responsible working class America is learning to do.
- Roscoe, Manchester

Just let the bankers take the money out of all our pockets with their Wall Street ponzi scheme. $750 billion to buy their help with fixing the devastation they caused - it's just the beginning. Why should citizens have to pay anything? Bring back the Republicanics so that we can put it all on our kid's credit cards. Roust those foolish Democrats. Who ever heard of having to pay for what you get. Complete nonsense.
- Robert, Deerfield

Why do the State Democrats continually outraise the State GOP with events like their Jefferson Jackson (not Davis or Scoop I imagine) while the GOP could do something equally enterprising?
- Mike, Goffstown

Some lawmakers feel it's OK for the state to reach into your pockets and rip your money away from you BUT, it's not OK for you and people from other states to take the money VOLUNTARILY out of your own pocket and put it into a slot machine that collects taxes. I can only deduce that some lawmakers are Sadists whose only mission is to inflict pain on you the taxpayer.
- Greg Barrett, Manchester

I think many of you are forgetting something very important. These legislators are a great deal smarter than you. Many of them went to Ivy league schools, and spend a great deal of their time around people who are also a very much more intellectually capable than you, and those who you deal with on a regular basis. So while you and your family and friends discuss amongst yourselves what is good for you, the fact is, these intellectual-legislators actually know what is best for you.

Fret not however, because soon enough, under these legislative luminaries, we'll have the utopia that places like Venezuela and Cuba are now enjoying!
- Craig D, Manchester

Josh in manch- you got that right.
An income tax didn't work in CT and it won't work here.
Why is it so hard for the gov. to understand to work within our budgets? We have to do this everyday.
The income tax only gave CT more problems. That state is now more taxed than Mass.
Make government smaller and make them repsonsible for their actions.
There is no reason that the head of any government agency should be making more than $70k a year! They get more perks than in the private sector and that should make up for the pay cut. How many people out there in the private sector have MLK day off with pay? Another foolish "holiday" that we don't need to recognize with a paid day off.
- Luke, Bristol

This state already has an income tax. Just look at the recently passed Lottery Winnings Income Tax. It is 10% and the person that just hit the Tri State in Keene foe 1.5 Million will be giving the state of NH $150,000.
As for a return to fiscal responsibility there has never been one. When the times were good the Republicans just dipped into different funds to cross fund other departments. Just look at the Highway fund where only about 40% of the money now goes to the roads and the rest is siphoned off to support anything that is on or near a road. Remember back when it was projected that the widening of I-93 would only be 78 million but when the price increased the Republicans just said "Build it and worry about the funding latter"
Both sides of the aisle have equal blame.
- Don Armstrong, Henniker

Leo asks “what's more revolting than a Democrat playing with your money“?
The answer is the republicans spending all my money and blaming it on the democrats.
From Ronald Reagan, when our total national debt was only $1 trillion through George “read my lips” Bush, to “W” Bush the deficit has grown to over $11 trillion and Obama inherited at least another trillion of debt to try to stave of another depression plus two war fronts and millions of home owners going through bankruptcy. It seems Reagan`s star wars was more important than healthcare for the people of America. It seems giving blanket military coverage to Europe, South Korea, and Japan is more important than healthcare for Americans. That sir, is more revolting
- Richard Elliott, Claremont

Puerto Rico, which doesn't pay federal taxes but has a local tax system in place that usually has the same rates, shot past us last year by adding a national sales tax. The excuse was a "bondholder crisis." Excuse-making successfully evaded the fact that, if they had followed the road map, they wouldn't have reached the cliff in the first place. "There isn't any," like steak at a steak restaurant, is a final excuse in Latin America, and the customer gets blank stares when he asks WHY there isn't any.

We should be on guard for excuse-making by our own legislature. The "inevitability" of a large new state tax will cover up the fact that no one ever rethought the proper role of state government in order to fit it to available revenue, a process Governor Lynch once promised to lead.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

I seem to remember King Lynch telling everyone that he would veto the gay marriage bill when it came across his desk as well! Im just saying...
- Adam, Salem NH

Tax "reform" like health care "reform"? Right. The point that scares me is that the Democrats were trying to do this under the radar and not let anyone know about what they were doing until it was too late - just like their platform of the last election when they ran on "I'm not Bush" and then started shoving all kinds socialistic programs and new taxes and fees down our throats so they could fulfill their spending frenzy and support their liberal buddies in Congress. It’s time they were called to stand under the full light of public scrutiny – however, given their reticence to even engage in public meetings with their constituents without a bunch of paid union bodyguards to protect them, I doubt we have a chance.
- sandy, thornton

It's only a matter of time before an income tax happens, especially if the current legislators continue in office! It's sad that NH's frugality that was once an envy of the United States no longer rings true.
- Mike, Epping

No more property taxes of any type. Then you can put in a income tax. People are paying $100+ a week in property tax in this state. In this economy, it will be easy to lose your home with this kind of tax burden. Changing the way we are taxed is the way to go. Not adding more taxes!
- Steve, Raymond

The state doesn't need an income tax or a tent tax or a name your favorite tax here. What it needs is a return to fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, the Democrats have failed to deliver on that front. I went through the current budget and found millions that can easily be cut. 10 million for renewable energy for example. That's nothing more than feel good spending. We can't afford it.

While everyone has their pet projects that they want to protect, it's important to look at the overall needs of the state and not individual agendas. This is the tax payers money, not the legislatures. Sometimes they seem to forget where their responsibility lies. The debacle with the JUA money is a stark reminder of the lack of responsibility on display.
- Todd, Atkinson

Can we all agree that tax "reform" is an oxymoron? The Dems have no intention of removing a flaw in the current tax system, such as the insane Real Estate tax. They have every intention of buying still more power for themselves with our money. Tax "revolution" is more appropriate. After all, what's more revolting than a Democrat playing with your money?
- Leo, Canterbury

STOP SPENDING MY DAMN MONEY and maybe you won't need any new freakin taxes!!!!!!
- josh, manchester

I am not in favor of aqn income tax BUT the state has done all sorts of creative bookeeping through the years, that if a private business did it the owner would be in jail. The income tax would force some of our ultra-wealthy people pay a fgair share. There is a reason in a state will so many low paying job at the figure is fudged to show positiive funds. A sales tax hits everyone the poverty level as well as the gotbucks. Anything is better than the maqssive property taxes and huge license fees.---action is neded,
- Albert, northwood

Anyone who supports an income tax to take money out of the pockets of hard working families in this economy is signing their own political death warrant. So, bring it on out of touch Democrats.
- Jim, Manchester